The Andy Matsui Award for
Outstanding Academic Achievement & Leadership is granted annually to
graduating students who, through academic accomplishment and devotion to public
service, exemplify Andy Matsui's life, values, and myriad accomplishments.

CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH - Media OutReach - June 11, 2018 -Six members of the Asian
University for Women Class of 2018 have been recognized for their excellence in
academics and their contributions to public service with the Andy Matsui Award for Outstanding Academic
Achievement & Leadership.

The
recipients of the award are Nabila
Alam from Bangladesh and
Tien Thi Cam Huynh, Nguyen Quynh Nhu, Ly Thanh Phuong, Do Thi Anh Thu, and Nguyen
Ngoc Tram from Vietnam.
The prize, awarded by the Asian University for Women (AUW), is based on the students'
undergraduate performance as demonstrated by their cumulative grade point
average. The Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs, Dr. Rosie Bateson, announced the award recipients during AUW's Sixth
Commencement Ceremony on 12 May 2018.

Among
the people who celebrated the announcement was Andy Matsui's daughter and AUW
co-founder Kathy Matsui. "It is such
a blessing to our family to be able to support women here at AUW," she shared
as the awards were announced.

The
Andy Matsui Award for Outstanding Academic
Achievement & Leadership is granted to graduating students who, through
academic accomplishment and devotion to public service, exemplify Andy Matsui's
life, values, and myriad accomplishments.

Nguyen Ngoc Tram, who will begin a Master's degree in
Economics at Illinois State University next year, shares, "I come from Quang
Nam province, the poorest province in Vietnam, where it was really difficult
for us to get education. Andy Matsui's life was similar."

He
grew up in a rural village in Japan and was not encouraged to pursue a university
education. As the eldest son, Andy was expected to remain on the family farm to
care for his parents and siblings, but in 1961, he sailed to the United States
with a high school degree, no English language ability, and $28 in his pocket.
After years of hard work and dedication as a farmer, Andy eventually became the
founder, owner, and president of Matsui Nursery -- American's largest orchid
nursery.

"For me, Andy Matsui's courage is very meaningful. The boldness
of going against his society's expectations and risking everything to build a new
life is truly inspiring. I think that if we have the courage to take
risks, work hard, and show perseverance, we can go a long way like Andy Matsui
has," says Nabila Alam.

Nguyen Quynh Nhu agrees, "Andy Matsui's life is a clear
example of courage, passion, and adventure. As a fresh graduate, I am still
figuring out what I want to do and who I want to become, but through Andy
Matsui's example, I know that achievement will come to those who dare to choose
the path that others are afraid to take. Through Andy, I understand that if
there is a will, there is a way."

Looking
ahead, Nhu plans to earn her PhD in Economics and bring resources to the most
impoverished parts of her home country. "Though Vietnam's economy is growing,
the wealth gap between the rich and the poor is still very large. In many
places, especially the rural areas, there is no bridge for the residents to
pass the rivers. Kids have to swim from one side of the river to the other side
for school. I want to initiate projects that bring sustainable development and
opportunities for those who have the passion to pursue a better life but lack the
resources to do so," Nhu says.

To
Kathy Matsui, AUW students represent "pebbles thrown into the pond, eventually
having positive ripple effects on the rest of their communities for generations
to come." Andy has likewise shown that just one courageous and hardworking
individual can take charge of his or her fate and ultimately transform the
lives of thousands of people, their families, and their communities for years
to come.

Through
the Matsui Foundation, Andy and his family supports scholarships for children
of immigrants in California and students of the Asian University for Women. In
January 2016, Andy and his family announced a $1 million gift to AUW's
endowment.

"I
believe in the power of education because AUW has increased the knowledge and
confidence I need to change my community. As a result, I admire Andy Matsui's
effort and practical action in supporting the undergraduate education of many
people who have financial difficulties. His generous donation to AUW has been
helping many young women pursue a university degree. I am confident that many
young women and girls will change their lives because of Andy Matsui's
support," says Ly Thanh Phuong, who
plans to use her AUW education and network to develop a leadership and
mentorship program for Vietnamese youths.

Do Thi Anh Thuagrees,
"I think we can all learn the importance of receiving and giving back from Andy
Matsui. He received support and help from many different people and now he
gives it back in many different ways to support even more people, including AUW
students. If we can all understand the value of receiving and giving back, more
and more people will be helped and this world will be a better place."

About
Andy Matsui

Like many AUW students, Andy Matsui grew up in a rural
village in Japan. He was not encouraged to pursue a university education.
Instead, he was expected to remain on the family farm to care for his parents
and siblings. Again like many AUW students, however, Andy also fought to defy
cultural conventions and succeed on his own terms. He sailed from Japan to
America with $28 in 1961, and eventually became the founder, owner and
president of Matsui Nursery, America's largest orchid nursery. Having never
attended college himself, Andy now donates millions to The Matsui Foundation so
children of immigrants may earn a university education. Andy's courage, self-reliance and generosity
have been a blueprint for his four children, who all graduated from Harvard and
became leaders in business and medicine. His daughter Kathy Matsui is Vice
Chairman at Goldman Sachs Japan and AUW Co-Founder.

About
Asian University for Women

Founded in 2008 and located
in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Asian University for Women is the first of its kind:
a regional institution dedicated to women's education and leadership
development -- international in outlook, but rooted in the contexts and
aspirations of the people of Asia.Students from 15 countries attend AUW. This University exists solely to
support a rising network of women leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers from
across the region. It seeks out women who have significant academic potential
and demonstrate courage and a sense of outrage at injustice and are empathic to
the woes of other people.A majority of
AUW's students are first in their family to enter university; 98% of AUW's
students are on full or near-full scholarship funded by private donors from
around the world.A majority of AUW
graduates find employment in the private sector in their home countries while
about 25% go on to pursue graduate studies. AUW graduates or former students
have been admitted to Stanford, Oxford, Columbia, Brandeis, Surrey, Ewha (South
Korea), and a host of other leading universities in the world.